Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a No Drone Zone

September 19, 2022

Albuquerque, NM – The 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (Balloon Fiesta) will welcome guests from around the world, October 1-9, 2022. For the safety of balloon pilots, guests and the general public, Balloon Fiesta and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have established a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) area during the nine-day event.

The TFR is a radius that extends four-miles from the center of Balloon Fiesta park. The Balloon Fiesta and the FAA have control of the airspace and will not allow any unauthorized aircraft (including drones) into the air space. The designation is enforced by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Albuquerque Police Department (APD).

When operators turn on the power of their drones within the TFR area they will be notified with a red screen, indicating that they are attempting to operate their drone within a restricted flight area. In addition, when operators powerup their drones, the Balloon Fiesta, FAA, FBI and APD are alerted of the illegal activity and crews will be dispatched to their location.

About the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, powered by ExxonMobil is a festival of hot air balloons that takes place in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It is the largest gathering of balloons and balloonists in the world. The 2019 event generated $186.82 Million into the Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico economies. For details on events, schedule, entertainment and photographs visit our website www.balloonfiesta.com and follow us on Twitter @BalloonFiesta and Facebook.

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